The present invention relates to a combined headgear and an electronic receiving device and to a cap to use in such a combination. More particularly, the invention relates to a combined cap and radio.
The combination of a cap and an electronic receiving device, such as a radio, is known. One such combination includes an external pocket on one side of the crown of the cap for receiving a radio receiver, and an external pocket on the other side of the crown for receiving a battery holder. The cap also includes a pair of earphones. The earphone on the same side of the cap as the radio receiver is directly connected to the radio receiver. Wires connecting the other earphone to the radio receiver, as well as wires connecting the battery holder to the radio receiver, are connected to the radio receiver through a fabric tunnel sewn to the underside of the brim.
While functionally such an arrangement works well, its manufacture is quite costly. In particular, the requirement for external pockets either requires that such pockets be formed integrally during the manufacturing process for the hat, thereby precluding the use of standard caps and the economies of scale one would achieve by using such caps, or, if standard caps are employed, requires a separate manufacturing operation to attach the pockets to the crown. In this latter situation, economies of scale are again lost because it is necessary to match the external pockets to the color and fabric of the remainder of the cap. In addition, sewing is inherently a more cost-intensive operation than other methods of attachment. Accordingly, an additional cost-intensive operation in the manufacture of such a combined cap and radio is the sewing of the fabric tunnel to the inside of the brim.